German Cargo Ship Freed After Running Aground Near Montreal

A German-flagged heavy-lift cargo ship is now free after running aground Thursday on Lake Saint-Louis, Quebec near Montreal.

The 12,700 DWT MV BBC Maple Lea ran aground Thursday morning at about 8 a.m. local time on the Saint Lawrence Seaway in the vicinity of St. Nicholas Island in Châteauguay.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) says it has deployed a team of investigators to determine the circumstances of the grounding.

AIS data from MarineTraffic.com showed that the vessel was freed with help of tugs at 12:30 p.m. local time on Friday.

A statement released Thursday from the Mohawk Council of Kahnawake said it appeared that ship’s front bow thruster hydraulic system was damaged in the grounding and the ship was leaking “droplets” hydraulic oil, although the situation posed little to no risk.

The vessel is said to be carrying a cargo of scrap metal.

The BBC Maple Lea was built in 2007. It is owned by Auerbach Schifffahrt and chartered by BBC Chartering.